Shanghai measured its worst day of pollution on record yesterday and this morning we woke up to more smog. The Air Pollution Index the city uses ranges from from 0 (excellent) to 300 (severely polluted) and yesterday the level was 500. A sandstorm in northern China is being blamed for the extra particles in the air which apparently hit an air current coming in off the coast.

My view today at 10am. The Pearl Tower is there somewhere.

My view on a much less polluted night. Pearl Tower in clear sight.

In the three-and-a-half years I’ve been here I’ve certainly never been so aware that the air is so unhealthy. At the moment, cars, bikes and scooters parked outside get filthy, everyone is coughing, some people are in face masks despite them being uncomfortable in the warm weather, and if you go to a park it’s not out of the question to see desperate expats sniffing leaves and hugging trees. We’re… Read more